March 2019
Barnabas McHenry, Chairman Greenway Council, Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Kevin M. Burke, Chairman, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley,
Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Scott Keller, Acting Executive Director Greenway,
Acting Director National Heritage Area 
Monthly News, Events, & Grant
Opportunities
Add Your Event to Ramble History for this Years 20th Anniversary of the Hudson River Valley Ramble
The Hudson River Valley Ramble is an annual event series that celebrates the history, culture and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, as well as the amazing landscape, communities, and trails throughout the region. Every September, ‘Ramblers’ come not only from the Hudson Valley region and New York State, but from other regions of the country as well to discover the riches our Valley has to offer.

Many historic sites, non-profits, municipalities, etc. have asked "why should I host a Ramble event?" Here is your answer:

Benefits for your event :
Advertise and increase your visibility. You’ll be included in 63,000 copies of the Ramble Guide. Distributed in August you will reach 150,000 readers in the Hudson Valley, New York and neighboring states. As well as being featured on the Ramble's website.
  • Tourists and Consumers: Reach a visitor and local audience of over 150 thousand readers.
  • Regional Recognition: The Hudson River Valley Ramble spans from Westchester and Rockland Counties all the way to Saratoga and Washington Counties. 
  • Information Centers: 19 county-wide tourist information centers and 14 centers. throughout New York and neighboring states.
  • Hospitality Industry: Hudson Valley hotels, motels, inns and B&Bs. 
  • Publications: Domestic and international journalism and travel publications.
  • NYC Distribution: Reach an extended audience in the NYC area.
  • Added to the Ramble Website: Events will reach thousands on the Ramble website.

The 20th Annual Ramble will take place on September 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, and 28-29 of 2019! Have more questions? Contact us.
DEC Releases Draft Management Plan for Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the release of the Draft Hudson River National Estuarine Reserve (HRNERR) Management Plan for public review and comment. The reserve is operated as a partnership between DEC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the plan provides a necessary foundation to help manage the federally designated and state-protected sites along 100 miles of the estuary. The mission of the HRNERR is to improve the health and resilience of the Hudson River Estuary by conserving estuarine habitats through integrated education, training, stewardship, restoration, monitoring, and research programs.

The 2019 Draft Management Plan is an update of the 2009 plan and will guide the management of the HRNERR for the next five years. The draft plan provides a foundation for education programs, professional training, research, public access, and resource stewardship, and continues the reserve's commitment to the following core practices:
  • Engaging local communities and citizens to improve stewardship of estuary resources;
  • Understanding stakeholder needs and seeking meaningful partnerships to guide program planning and implementation;
  • Using collaborative approaches to address complex estuary issues;
  • Integrating staff activities to maximize the transfer of research and monitoring to inform decision making and community-based stewardship;
  • Aligning with the Hudson River Estuary Program and other programs to promote stewardship of the Hudson River estuary;
  • Informing decision-making in the mid-Atlantic and North Atlantic where appropriate through collaborations with other National Estuarine Research Reserves; and
  • Leading by example through innovating, testing, and applying best management practices.

The public is encouraged to comment on the 2019 Draft Management Plan through March 15, 2019. DEC will review and address all comments received. The draft management plan is posted on the NYS DEC website. Comments, questions, and/or requests can be directed to: Heather Gierloff, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve Manager, Norrie Point Environmental Center, 256 Norrie Point Way, P.O. Box 315, Staatsburg, NY 12580; (845) 2889-4745 x 118; or [email protected] .

Join the Greater Hudson Heritage Network for their Harnessing the Power of Stories Workshop Series
Museums are all about stories! In order to best serve current and potential audiences, heritage organizations need creative tools for interpretation and communication to build local capacity and sustainability while strengthening connections within its community. Museums are often seen as places of learning associated with the presentation of historical dates, facts and figures. However, they are also places where curiosity is invoked and where wondrous things can be discovered. The museum experience should engage visitors with hands-on and minds-on activities, storytelling, employ historical imagery, and evoke the spirit of historical persons from the past. To create truly memorable museum experiences, sites must invest in their staff - especially the interpreters who are the front line of museums as they engage with visitors more than any other staff member. Many museums with all-volunteer staff often receive limited training in storytelling and theatrical techniques as well as first/third person living history interpretation due to limited budget and training opportunities. This barrier to interpretive training can greatly impact a site's visitation, limit its community engagement and long-term sustainability. Full-day workshops include lite breakfast, luncheon, afternoon coffee break, and reference materials.  The first workshop of this 3 part series will take place on April 2, 2019 at the beautiful Boscobel House and Gardens. Learn more.
Are You Up for the Canalway Challenge?
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is launching a new program known as the Canalway Challenge . This challen ge is open for cycling, paddling, running, hiking or walking and welcomes all skill levels. The objective is to get people outside to have fun and go on adventures to enjoy the 524-mile NYS Canal System and 365-mile Erie Canalway Trail. The challenge has a simple design, first you create your own one-of-a-kind mileage goal and sign up. Then get out and use a fitness app or a pen and paper and keep track of your miles. Lastly, upload a picture of yourself when you are finished. You will be able to download your certificate and then you will be sent a decal to display your achievement. This feature will become active with your registration, which will be opening in April. The Erie Canal and Canalway Trail are divided into distinct regions, each roughly 90 miles. Rack up all four regions to become a 360 End-to-Ender. Or make smaller goals like 15 miles! You can count miles on any of these canals toward your Canalway Challenge total. Stay tuned for more info !
Invasive Spotted Lantern Fly- Updates
The invasive Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF established populations have since been confirmed in Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. To date, no SLF established populations have been confirmed in New York, although a few individual insects have been found in the state. A Unified Incident Command System (ICS) was established in January 2018 to leverage the joint effort and organize resources and responsibilities. Since then, plans and activities have been implemented, largely focused on early detection and prevention. Raising general awareness is particularly important, with an understanding that public reporting is powerful and effective with such a unique looking pest. In New York State, the Department of Agriculture and Markets issued an exterior quarantine that restricts the movement of certain goods brought into New York from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and counties with confirmed infestations in Delaware, and Virginia. In Pennsylvania, the following counties are under quarantine: Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill. In New Jersey, the following counties are under quarantine: Warren, Hunterdon and Mercer. On Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019, members of the NYS ICS met and conducted a “hot wash” in Albany, NY. At the meeting, ICS members reviewed the successes and challenges of 2018 in hopes of improving the system in 2019. Please report any sightings to [email protected] . More details .
Friends of Clermont Awarded National Grant
Clermont State Historic Site and the Friends of Clermont run a program known as Harvesting History that teaches children where food comes from, how to plant and harvest a garden, as well as create nutritious meals. The children are provided with the information on how to develop healthy eating habits at a young age which may impact their entire family’s eating habits. The Friends of Clermont was awarded the Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant, a competitive national grant program founded by Whole Food Markets. The Friends of Clermont were one of 600 national programs chosen to receive this award of $2,000, which will be used to further build the Harvesting History program. The Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant supports school and community gardens, local schools and not-for-profit organizations around the U.S. The Whole Kids Foundation’s mission is to support schools and inspire families to improve children’s nutrition and wellness. In 2016, the Friends of Clermont were awarded a National Heritage Area Heritage Development Grant for their Harvesting History program that is now in its sixth year. Harvesting History was originally founded by Clermont State Historic Site Director Susan Boudreau. The Current Harvesting History program partners include the Hudson Department of Youth and Camp Oakdale, the Hudson Blue Hawk Nation After School Program, Edward J. Arthur Elementary in Athens, and Germantown’s After School Program and Camp Palatine. Learn more about the Harvesting History program and more education programs that Clermont State Historic Site has to offer!
Volunteer Training In Columbia County by the Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC)
How did the Salamander cross the road? With your help! Learn about the Amphibian Migration and Road Crossings Project and how you can help keep these special critters safe. Registration is strongly encouraged – events are held based on interest. The CLC will hold a training for volunteers on Tuesday, March 12 at 5:30pm in Chatham. Sign up !
Upcoming Events

Snowshoe Hike, Taconic State Park, Copake Falls, NY
March 6: Free 3-mile snowshoe hike; route to be determined based on conditions. Snowshoeing is fun and it’s a great workout, so don’t be afraid to come with us even if you are a first timer. More info .

Homeschoolers: Maple Sugaring Program, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Kerhonkson, NY
March 7: Join other Homeschoolers to experience the magic that is maple sugaring. We will search for and tap sugar maple trees using traditional tools. Each child will be able to taste test maple syrup, maple sap and at least one kind of maple candy. Read more .

Making The Map: Westchester County, L.L. Bean Store, Yonkers, NY
March 8: Three parks in Westchester County provide many hours of hiking and a variety of experiences on over 90 miles of trails:  Teatown, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Long time volunteers and the authors of Walkable Westchester, Jane and Walt Daniels will tell stories and show pictures of how these maps were made as well as interesting destinations in and history of these parks. Learn more .

Wildlife Animal Tracking Club, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY
March 9: Join Dan Yacobellis, a local wilderness skills teacher, naturalist and tracker for 3 hours of animal tracking fun, adventure and stories. Every track is just a small piece of an epic story involving all the life of the forest. Learn how to identify the tracks and sign left by the animals that live at Grafton Lakes and what stories those signs have to tell.  More details .

Rockland Goes Green – Community Based Climate Solutions, Dominican College, Orangeburg, NY
March 10: Join Rockland Goes Green as they explore already existing climate solutions that can help us achieve goals related to emissions reduction and adaptation. Find out more .

Ashokan Maple Fest, Ashokan Center, Olivebridge, NY
March 10: Enjoy the sweet bounty of late winter! The festival will have pancakes all-day hot off the griddle topped with Ashokan maple syrup, with maple bacon. There will be tree tapping, syrup-making demos, guided tours of the Sugar Shack, guided hikes to our newly restored covered bridge, live music, blacksmithing, and more. Read more .

Bird Walk with the SMRA, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY
March 11: Come birding with Saw Mill River Audubon! Beginners encouraged. Meet in the main parking lot of Rockefeller State Park Preserve.   Find out more .

Tales of the Majestic Hudson, Van Buren Hall, Kinderhook, NY
March 12: The Hudson River Valley begins above Albany and winds south for 150 miles to the New York Harbor, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. We know from archaeological findings that the Valley has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. During this time prehistoric man, Native Americans, Dutch settlers, British forces, and American revolutionaries all left footprints, stories, and legends in the Hudson Valley. More info .

Classic Storybook Illustration, Sarah Hull Hallock Library, Milton, NY
March 14: Instructor Corissa Appler, MS Art Education, will explore the styles of classic picture books and create art using the techniques of well-loved illustrators. More details .

Seed Starting Workshop, Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra, NY
March 16: The Seed Starting Workshop will teach home gardeners how to give their gardens a head start by planting seeds, care and transplant to gardens. The workshops take place on March 16 in both offices, Acra and Hudson. This is a hands on workshop. Pre-registration is required. Read more .

Full Moon Walk, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Cornwall, NY
March 20: Come out to celebrate the first day of spring and the last full moon of the winter season! Two seasons intersect on this special day when frogs will be singing while winter is still holding onto the air and earth. Find out more .

A Closer Look: A Curator-Guided Exploration of the Hidden & Hard-to-see, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburgh, NY
March 23: In this special tour by reservation, Staatsburgh’s Curator, Dr. Maria Reynolds, will focus on a selection of objects—from works of art to books, tools, you name it—that are not accessible or easily seen on tour, or which tell a special story. Read more .

March 25: In the summer of 1777, an invading army under British General Burgoyne threatened to capture Albany and to cut off New England from the other rebellious colonies. Challenged by the logistics of continuing his advance, Burgoyne sent a detachment commanded by Lt. Col. Baum to capture stores held in Bennington. Find out more .

Interpreting Women at Historic Sites (WEBINAR)
March 27 : Historians use many tools in interpreting history, and the tools used by present-day historians give the impression that men make history. However, by using a different set of tools to interpret women, a new narrative arises where women are just as active as men, participating in all facets of society and redefining history as we know it. More info .

Drop-In Snowshoe Lessons, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Cragsmoor, NY
March 30: Designed for people who are beginners, interested in trying snowshoeing as a new winter activity. Each session will be run by a Sam’s Point employee who will provide instruction on how to properly wear and adjust the snowshoes, as well as work with you until you are ready to head out on your favorite trail with confidence. The lesson may last up to one hour. Learn more .

Riverport Women's Sailing Conference, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Kingston, NY
March 30: An exciting opportunity for women to learn the art and science of sailing from experienced women mariners. The conference allows participants to choose four options from an array of a dozen hands-on and classroom workshops. Learn sailing theory, navigation, outboard motor repair, sail care and more! More details .

Hike the Mossy Glen Footpath, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Kerhonkson, NY
March 31: Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, for this approximately four-mile hike along the Peter’s Kill stream, through mixed forests and across exposed quartz conglomerate rock.  Read more .
Heritage Spotlight: Neuberger Museum of Art
The Neuberger Museum, housed in a Philip Johnson designed building on the campus of Purchase College, State University of New York, displays collections of modern art, African art, and contemporary artists. The museum opened in 1974, after philanthropist Roy R. Neuberger gave the college a collection of American paintings and sculpture created from the 1940s through the ‘60s. The collection includes works by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and abstract works by Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Isamu Noguchi. The museum’s collection of African art contains works of some 30 different cultures examined in a series of thematic displays of everything from masks and other ceremonial items to utilitarian objects. Find out more .
Project Spotlight: Manitoga: Learning From the Woodland Landscape
Manitoga /The Russel Wright Design Center was awarded a Heritage Development Grant to support its new Learning from the Woodland Landscape Initiative. The grant will help support year one of this Woodland Landscape Education Initiative which will continue and expand in subsequent years. More specifically, the grant will help launch a new part time seasonal position at Manitoga - a Landscape Site Educator (LSE) who will play a pivotal role in interpreting Manitoga’s woodlands for the public as a masterful integration of nature and design. The grant will also expand and enrich Manitoga’s Landscape Workday program. The project represents a vital interpretive component of Manitoga’s comprehensive plan to restore Russel Wright’s design intent and landscape character of Manitoga's now permanently conserved trail loop network through site interpretation and design rehabilitation for the public’s safety, education, and enjoyment. The trail loop network is also connected to the Hudson River Valley Greenway's larger regional network. Learn more about Manitoga.
Green Tip of the Month: Don't Waste Clothing!
Make sure to donate clothes or shop at thrift stores! Compared to 15 years ago, the average person buys  60% more items  of clothing and keeps them for about half as long. By shopping at thrift stores, you pay less money and give an old piece of clothing new life rather than buying a new piece. Learn more .
Grant and Funding Opportunities

Heritage Development Grants
The Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) are pleased to announce the availability of $55,000 in matching grants through the 2019 Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Development Grant Program.This annual grant program offers funding for programming, interpretation, and marketing projects that support the mutual goals of the HRVNHA and applicants. Grants will typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. Grant program guidelines and applications are available on the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area's website. Deadline: May 10, 2019.

Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program
Matching grants available for Greenway Communities and Greenway Compact Communities. Deadline: February 8, 2019 . More info .

National Heritage Area Sponsorship's Available
The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) will partner with various organizations to sponsor programs and events that reinforce the Heritage Area’s mission. While complementing the mission of the Heritage Area, cultural, heritage and recreational events deliver significant tourism and economic benefits to communities, and encourage local and regional partnerships. Municipalities and nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations located within the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area are eligible to apply. For more information, please contact Dan Jeanson at [email protected] or 518-473-3835.

Teaching the Hudson Valley Explore Awards
These matching grants are intended to create opportunities for students to explore the history, environment, and culture of the Hudson River Valley, connecting their studies to significant places. They encourage students’ appreciation for and stewardship of their communities and cultures, and connect teachers with site educators and place-based learning. Eligible expenses include transportation and admission fees to eligible Hudson Valley locations for school groups. Read more .

Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs Program  
The Hudson River Estuary Program’s Trees for Tribs program offers free native trees and shrubs for planting along the tributary streams in the Hudson River estuary watershed. Our staff can help you with a planting plan and work with your volunteers. Fall planting projects are now taking place. If you own or manage property near a stream in the Hudson estuary watershed, you can apply for assistance from Trees for Tribs. Landowners or managers must complete an application (PDF)  and if the project is selected, recruit volunteers for planting, and maintain the site after the planting is complete. Deadline: March 1, 2019 for a planting in spring, and August 1, 2019 for planting in the fall. More info .

2019 Barnabas McHenry Hudson Valley Awards
The awards are granted to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing research, leadership, and community involvement in New York’s Hudson Valley. Under the construct of the program, students partner with local non-profits and are awarded up to $5,000, with $1,000 going to the non-profit, to pursue a project that will promote awareness about local history and the environment and invoke positive change. The 12-year-old program is aimed at encouraging and enabling exceptional, conservation-minded students to take an active leadership role in their Hudson Valley community. Deadline: March 8, 2019 . Find out more .

Mark B. Bain Graduate Fellowship
In 2019, the Foundation will award up to six full-time research fellowships to advanced graduate students conducting research on the Hudson River system. A fellowship awarded to a doctoral student will include a stipend consistent with the policy of the student’s graduate institution, in an amount of up to $19,000 for one year, and an incidentals research budget poloof up to $1,000. A fellowship awarded to a master’s level student will include a stipend consistent with the policy of the student’s graduate institution, of up to $15,000 for one year, and an incidentals research budget of up to $1,000. Deadline: March 11, 2019 . Read more .

River Access Funding for the Vicinity of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown
Approximately  $750,000 is now available  to help the area in the vicinity of the Villages of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown plan and construct improvements for recreational access to the tidal waters of the Hudson River. Funding for this grant opportunity is provided by the  Natural Resource Damages  (NRD) GM/Tarrytown Hudson River Settlement. Request for Applications (RFA) are for projects to provide new or improved access at sites for boating, fishing, swimming, enjoyment of nature, or wildlife-related recreation, or educational interpretation of the Hudson River estuary. These projects must be located on publicly accessible lands along the tidal Hudson or tidal portion of a tributary within 15 miles to the north or south of the former General Motors factory location (address 199 Beekman Avenue, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591) in the general vicinity of the Village of Sleepy Hollow or Village of Tarrytown. The minimum award amount is $10,500, and the maximum amount is $375,000. D eadline: March 20, 2019 . More info .

Preserve New York Grants
Launched in 1993 through a partnership between NYSCA and the Preservation League, Preserve New York makes grants for historic structure reports, building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys. These grants help municipalities and not-for-profit organizations conserve and protect their cultural resources and are an important catalyst in realizing community preservation goals. Not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and units of local government are eligible to apply. Arts and cultural organizations are particularly encouraged to apply. Deadline: March 25, 2019 . Find out more .

Historic Transportation Canals Marker Grant Program
The Historic Transportation Canals Marker Grant Program is designed to promote cultural tourism and commemorate the history of transportation canals in the United States. The markers in this program must recognize a historical fact that occurred more than 50 years from the year of your application. Currently, that year is 1969. Canal marker grants are available to 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofit academic institutions, and municipalities within the United States of America. Deadline for the letter of intent is April 17, 2019 . The application deadline is May 5, 2019 . Read more .

National Fund for Sacred Places
Sacred places have played a critical role in shaping the character of our communities—receive grant funding to keep these historic places as an important part of our national cultural heritage. The National Fund for Sacred Places provides training, planning grants, and capital grants from $50,000 to $250,000 for congregations of all faiths. Letter of Intent deadline is May 1, 2019 . Visit  www.FundforSacredPlaces.org  for more details, including eligibility requirements, guidelines, and online application. The National Fund for Sacred Places is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in collaboration with Partners for Sacred Places.

2019 NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program
The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program is a partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and GHHN that provides support for treatment procedures to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects held in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. Support is available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints or photographs), textiles (including costumes, domestic textiles and upholstery), furniture, frames, sculpture, historical, ethnographic, decorative objects, and more. Deadline: June 3, 2019 . More info .

2019 NYSCA/GHHN Collection Needs Assessment Program
The NYSCA/GHHN Collection Needs Assessment Program is a NYSCA/GHHN Grant partnership program which provides two opportunities for museums across New York State.These include:

  • Site Assessment Program: The grant will support professional services for a collections consultant who will come to your organization for a half-day site visit focusing on a collections related topic. The consultant will discuss various areas of stewardship with the site including identifying your specific collections issues, suggesting and prioritizing basic steps to improve care of your collections. A written report will follow the consultation. Max award of $650.
  • Supplies Program: Applicants who have consulted with an appropriate professional may request funds to purchase collections management supplies. Supplies may include, but are not limited to: storage boxes, acid-free tissue paper, artifact trays, dividers, UV filtering film, Tyvek sheeting, tape, tags, labels, and environmental monitors. Supply requests for archival or library collections will not be supported. Max award $500.

Deadline: June 3, 2019 . Find out more .

Volunteer Needed at the Roosevelt Home Garden
The National Park Service is looking for a volunteer to help with a nearly two-acre garden originally used by the Roosevelt family at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park. Can you help? Learn more .

New York State Assembly Grants Action News 
State, federal, and private grant information from the New York State Assembly. More info .
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